Latest news with #Tavascan
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Cupra Formentor: Updated top-seller delayed to 2026
Cupra Australia's most popular model won't be getting updated until next year, with the brand's local product boss confirming the facelifted Formentor has been delayed again until 2026. Speaking with CarExpert at the launch of the all-new Terramar mid-size SUV, Cupra Australia head of product Jeff Shafer said the updated crossover range will now land in "early 2026", despite initially being slated for the second quarter of 2025 (April-June). That means the facelifted Formentor will hit Australian showrooms nearly two years after it was revealed in Europe, and more than a year since it first hit the road overseas. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. No doubt one reason for the delay is the Spanish brand's local strategy of giving each new model "the right time in the sun", as communicated by Cupra Australia's former director Ben Wilks earlier this year. "It's important to really roll these out responsibly in terms of timing. Each of these models needs the right time in the sun," Mr Wilks told CarExpert in March. "These are not necessarily delays from a factory perspective, but rather structure and order from our perspective." However, since Mr Wilks' comments launch timings for several new models have changed again. The facelifted Formentor and hotter Born VZ electric hatch were both initially due on sale here before the end of 2025, and now both are coming early next year. Still, despite its advancing age, the original Formentor comfortably remains Cupra's top-seller in Australia, with 909 units registered to the end of June 2025 – an increase of 50 per cent on the first half of 2024. The Formentor was one of three models with which the Cupra brand was launched in Australia in mid-2022, alongside the Leon hatchback and Ateca mid-size SUV, which is now in runout Second spot in the brand's stable goes to the now sold-out Born electric hatch, which found 309 new homes in the same period. A distant third goes to the new Tavascan electric SUV 'coupe', which has notched up 170 deliveries since its launch in March. Mr Shafer didn't provide an update on which versions of the facelifted Formentor will be offered locally, but you can expect an 'S mHEV' entry-level variant as well as a pumped-up 245kW VZx 4Drive performance hero with the same drivetrain and rear torque splitter tech as the related Volkswagen Golf R hot hatch. In between, there's likely to be at least one of the e-Hybrid PHEVs – which are available globally in 150kW or 200kW tunes. Cupra Australia has previously indicated a 150kW 2.0 TSI 4Drive version would also make it here, and if that's still the case it's likely be badged as the Formentor V. The new Formentor will follow the updated Leon Hatch and Sportstourer (wagon) models, which are due to land Down Under in October. Cupra is in the thick of a global product offensive, which has included the all-new Tavascan and Terramar SUVs, the facelifted Leon and Formentor ranges, as well as the Born VZ and the upcoming Raval baby EV, which will be revealed next year. As a result of this range-wide overhaul, the Spanish brand expects its continued global sales growth to be reflected in Australia after the brand's year-end sales decline in 2024. Cupra Australia's fortunes are up so far in 2025, with 40.3 per cent sales growth to June 30. This has largely been driven by a resurgence in Formentor sales off the back of runout deals, as well as clearance deals on the now sold-out Born. MORE: Explore the Cupra Formentor showroom Content originally sourced from: Cupra Australia's most popular model won't be getting updated until next year, with the brand's local product boss confirming the facelifted Formentor has been delayed again until 2026. Speaking with CarExpert at the launch of the all-new Terramar mid-size SUV, Cupra Australia head of product Jeff Shafer said the updated crossover range will now land in "early 2026", despite initially being slated for the second quarter of 2025 (April-June). That means the facelifted Formentor will hit Australian showrooms nearly two years after it was revealed in Europe, and more than a year since it first hit the road overseas. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. No doubt one reason for the delay is the Spanish brand's local strategy of giving each new model "the right time in the sun", as communicated by Cupra Australia's former director Ben Wilks earlier this year. "It's important to really roll these out responsibly in terms of timing. Each of these models needs the right time in the sun," Mr Wilks told CarExpert in March. "These are not necessarily delays from a factory perspective, but rather structure and order from our perspective." However, since Mr Wilks' comments launch timings for several new models have changed again. The facelifted Formentor and hotter Born VZ electric hatch were both initially due on sale here before the end of 2025, and now both are coming early next year. Still, despite its advancing age, the original Formentor comfortably remains Cupra's top-seller in Australia, with 909 units registered to the end of June 2025 – an increase of 50 per cent on the first half of 2024. The Formentor was one of three models with which the Cupra brand was launched in Australia in mid-2022, alongside the Leon hatchback and Ateca mid-size SUV, which is now in runout Second spot in the brand's stable goes to the now sold-out Born electric hatch, which found 309 new homes in the same period. A distant third goes to the new Tavascan electric SUV 'coupe', which has notched up 170 deliveries since its launch in March. Mr Shafer didn't provide an update on which versions of the facelifted Formentor will be offered locally, but you can expect an 'S mHEV' entry-level variant as well as a pumped-up 245kW VZx 4Drive performance hero with the same drivetrain and rear torque splitter tech as the related Volkswagen Golf R hot hatch. In between, there's likely to be at least one of the e-Hybrid PHEVs – which are available globally in 150kW or 200kW tunes. Cupra Australia has previously indicated a 150kW 2.0 TSI 4Drive version would also make it here, and if that's still the case it's likely be badged as the Formentor V. The new Formentor will follow the updated Leon Hatch and Sportstourer (wagon) models, which are due to land Down Under in October. Cupra is in the thick of a global product offensive, which has included the all-new Tavascan and Terramar SUVs, the facelifted Leon and Formentor ranges, as well as the Born VZ and the upcoming Raval baby EV, which will be revealed next year. As a result of this range-wide overhaul, the Spanish brand expects its continued global sales growth to be reflected in Australia after the brand's year-end sales decline in 2024. Cupra Australia's fortunes are up so far in 2025, with 40.3 per cent sales growth to June 30. This has largely been driven by a resurgence in Formentor sales off the back of runout deals, as well as clearance deals on the now sold-out Born. MORE: Explore the Cupra Formentor showroom Content originally sourced from: Cupra Australia's most popular model won't be getting updated until next year, with the brand's local product boss confirming the facelifted Formentor has been delayed again until 2026. Speaking with CarExpert at the launch of the all-new Terramar mid-size SUV, Cupra Australia head of product Jeff Shafer said the updated crossover range will now land in "early 2026", despite initially being slated for the second quarter of 2025 (April-June). That means the facelifted Formentor will hit Australian showrooms nearly two years after it was revealed in Europe, and more than a year since it first hit the road overseas. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. No doubt one reason for the delay is the Spanish brand's local strategy of giving each new model "the right time in the sun", as communicated by Cupra Australia's former director Ben Wilks earlier this year. "It's important to really roll these out responsibly in terms of timing. Each of these models needs the right time in the sun," Mr Wilks told CarExpert in March. "These are not necessarily delays from a factory perspective, but rather structure and order from our perspective." However, since Mr Wilks' comments launch timings for several new models have changed again. The facelifted Formentor and hotter Born VZ electric hatch were both initially due on sale here before the end of 2025, and now both are coming early next year. Still, despite its advancing age, the original Formentor comfortably remains Cupra's top-seller in Australia, with 909 units registered to the end of June 2025 – an increase of 50 per cent on the first half of 2024. The Formentor was one of three models with which the Cupra brand was launched in Australia in mid-2022, alongside the Leon hatchback and Ateca mid-size SUV, which is now in runout Second spot in the brand's stable goes to the now sold-out Born electric hatch, which found 309 new homes in the same period. A distant third goes to the new Tavascan electric SUV 'coupe', which has notched up 170 deliveries since its launch in March. Mr Shafer didn't provide an update on which versions of the facelifted Formentor will be offered locally, but you can expect an 'S mHEV' entry-level variant as well as a pumped-up 245kW VZx 4Drive performance hero with the same drivetrain and rear torque splitter tech as the related Volkswagen Golf R hot hatch. In between, there's likely to be at least one of the e-Hybrid PHEVs – which are available globally in 150kW or 200kW tunes. Cupra Australia has previously indicated a 150kW 2.0 TSI 4Drive version would also make it here, and if that's still the case it's likely be badged as the Formentor V. The new Formentor will follow the updated Leon Hatch and Sportstourer (wagon) models, which are due to land Down Under in October. Cupra is in the thick of a global product offensive, which has included the all-new Tavascan and Terramar SUVs, the facelifted Leon and Formentor ranges, as well as the Born VZ and the upcoming Raval baby EV, which will be revealed next year. As a result of this range-wide overhaul, the Spanish brand expects its continued global sales growth to be reflected in Australia after the brand's year-end sales decline in 2024. Cupra Australia's fortunes are up so far in 2025, with 40.3 per cent sales growth to June 30. This has largely been driven by a resurgence in Formentor sales off the back of runout deals, as well as clearance deals on the now sold-out Born. MORE: Explore the Cupra Formentor showroom Content originally sourced from: Cupra Australia's most popular model won't be getting updated until next year, with the brand's local product boss confirming the facelifted Formentor has been delayed again until 2026. Speaking with CarExpert at the launch of the all-new Terramar mid-size SUV, Cupra Australia head of product Jeff Shafer said the updated crossover range will now land in "early 2026", despite initially being slated for the second quarter of 2025 (April-June). That means the facelifted Formentor will hit Australian showrooms nearly two years after it was revealed in Europe, and more than a year since it first hit the road overseas. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. No doubt one reason for the delay is the Spanish brand's local strategy of giving each new model "the right time in the sun", as communicated by Cupra Australia's former director Ben Wilks earlier this year. "It's important to really roll these out responsibly in terms of timing. Each of these models needs the right time in the sun," Mr Wilks told CarExpert in March. "These are not necessarily delays from a factory perspective, but rather structure and order from our perspective." However, since Mr Wilks' comments launch timings for several new models have changed again. The facelifted Formentor and hotter Born VZ electric hatch were both initially due on sale here before the end of 2025, and now both are coming early next year. Still, despite its advancing age, the original Formentor comfortably remains Cupra's top-seller in Australia, with 909 units registered to the end of June 2025 – an increase of 50 per cent on the first half of 2024. The Formentor was one of three models with which the Cupra brand was launched in Australia in mid-2022, alongside the Leon hatchback and Ateca mid-size SUV, which is now in runout Second spot in the brand's stable goes to the now sold-out Born electric hatch, which found 309 new homes in the same period. A distant third goes to the new Tavascan electric SUV 'coupe', which has notched up 170 deliveries since its launch in March. Mr Shafer didn't provide an update on which versions of the facelifted Formentor will be offered locally, but you can expect an 'S mHEV' entry-level variant as well as a pumped-up 245kW VZx 4Drive performance hero with the same drivetrain and rear torque splitter tech as the related Volkswagen Golf R hot hatch. In between, there's likely to be at least one of the e-Hybrid PHEVs – which are available globally in 150kW or 200kW tunes. Cupra Australia has previously indicated a 150kW 2.0 TSI 4Drive version would also make it here, and if that's still the case it's likely be badged as the Formentor V. The new Formentor will follow the updated Leon Hatch and Sportstourer (wagon) models, which are due to land Down Under in October. Cupra is in the thick of a global product offensive, which has included the all-new Tavascan and Terramar SUVs, the facelifted Leon and Formentor ranges, as well as the Born VZ and the upcoming Raval baby EV, which will be revealed next year. As a result of this range-wide overhaul, the Spanish brand expects its continued global sales growth to be reflected in Australia after the brand's year-end sales decline in 2024. Cupra Australia's fortunes are up so far in 2025, with 40.3 per cent sales growth to June 30. This has largely been driven by a resurgence in Formentor sales off the back of runout deals, as well as clearance deals on the now sold-out Born. MORE: Explore the Cupra Formentor showroom Content originally sourced from:
7NEWS
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Cupra Formentor: Updated top-seller delayed to 2026
Cupra Australia's most popular model won't be getting updated until next year, with the brand's local product boss confirming the facelifted Formentor has been delayed again until 2026. Speaking with CarExpert at the launch of the all-new Terramar mid-size SUV, Cupra Australia head of product Jeff Shafer said the updated crossover range will now land in 'early 2026', despite initially being slated for the second quarter of 2025 (April-June). That means the facelifted Formentor will hit Australian showrooms nearly two years after it was revealed in Europe, and more than a year since it first hit the road overseas. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. No doubt one reason for the delay is the Spanish brand's local strategy of giving each new model 'the right time in the sun', as communicated by Cupra Australia's former director Ben Wilks earlier this year. 'It's important to really roll these out responsibly in terms of timing. Each of these models needs the right time in the sun,' Mr Wilks told CarExpert in March. 'These are not necessarily delays from a factory perspective, but rather structure and order from our perspective.' However, since Mr Wilks' comments launch timings for several new models have changed again. The facelifted Formentor and hotter Born VZ electric hatch were both initially due on sale here before the end of 2025, and now both are coming early next year. Still, despite its advancing age, the original Formentor comfortably remains Cupra's top-seller in Australia, with 909 units registered to the end of June 2025 – an increase of 50 per cent on the first half of 2024. The Formentor was one of three models with which the Cupra brand was launched in Australia in mid-2022, alongside the Leon hatchback and Ateca mid-size SUV, which is now in runout Second spot in the brand's stable goes to the now sold-out Born electric hatch, which found 309 new homes in the same period. A distant third goes to the new Tavascan electric SUV 'coupe', which has notched up 170 deliveries since its launch in March. Mr Shafer didn't provide an update on which versions of the facelifted Formentor will be offered locally, but you can expect an 'S mHEV' entry-level variant as well as a pumped-up 245kW VZx 4Drive performance hero with the same drivetrain and rear torque splitter tech as the related Volkswagen Golf R hot hatch. In between, there's likely to be at least one of the e-Hybrid PHEVs – which are available globally in 150kW or 200kW tunes. Cupra Australia has previously indicated a 150kW 2.0 TSI 4Drive version would also make it here, and if that's still the case it's likely be badged as the Formentor V. The new Formentor will follow the updated Leon Hatch and Sportstourer (wagon) models, which are due to land Down Under in October. Cupra is in the thick of a global product offensive, which has included the all-new Tavascan and Terramar SUVs, the facelifted Leon and Formentor ranges, as well as the Born VZ and the upcoming Raval baby EV, which will be revealed next year. As a result of this range-wide overhaul, the Spanish brand expects its continued global sales growth to be reflected in Australia after the brand's year-end sales decline in 2024. Cupra Australia's fortunes are up so far in 2025, with 40.3 per cent sales growth to June 30. This has largely been driven by a resurgence in Formentor sales off the back of runout deals, as well as clearance deals on the now sold-out Born.
Top Gear
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Cupra Tavascan Driving, Engines & Performance
Driving What is it like to drive? Acceleration is brisk, but not with that step-off jolt some fast EVs give you on the first micron of pedal travel. That's fine. Who wants to be slammed in the back of the skull by the headrest every time a traffic light goes green? More importantly, the acceleration is enough to give decent overtaking gumption, and to give the tyres something to think about on the exit from a corner. In numbers, the AWD version is 5.5 seconds 0-62mph. Advertisement - Page continues below The front motor is called into play when rear traction is close to its limit, but in any case it's the weaker of the pair. Bottom line, this feels rear driven. A point you can emphasise by selecting a sports AWD mode which defers the front motor's arrival, and a sports setting for the ESP. You can also tauten the dampers. We're glad to say there's now a screen shortcut to turn off the electronic assistance features. The lane keep can yank at the wheel when the road lines are inconsistent, and the speed limit warnings are irritating too. On motorways the lane centring and radar cruise work well and smoothly, although the displays could do more to reassure you by telling you what they're up to. What about in the corners? With the right settings, the Tavascan is definitely more amusing than its rivals. You can use the regen paddles to slow it progressively, but even so too much ambition at the start of a tight bend will see you lost in understeer and steering wheel numbness. That's your 2.3 tonnes right there. Advertisement - Page continues below But then when you add the power it feels engaging, giving you a sense of the tyres working for you. The steering is precise and well weighted. The brake pedal is a bit soft underfoot, with a mild sense of delay as regeneration hands off to friction, but which of its rivals isn't like that? I hope they didn't ruin the ride? The Tavascan copes well with bumps, with the caveat that it's a particularly firm ride overall. A button on the steering wheel cycles between drive modes, which affects damping among other things. And a second one shortcuts you to the Cupra mode that puts all settings to their most aggressive. Cupra has lowered the ride height by 15mm compared to the related VW Group MEB crossovers, and made adaptive dampers standard with the AWD version. And done its own software for steering and brakes and damping and ESP. And given the option of light 21-inch wheels. It all helps. What's the charging like? Peak DC recharge rate is 135kW which isn't too fancy, but Cupra says it can sustain that for a long time, so you can make good use of, say, a 150kW charge post and get from 10-80 per cent in as little as 28 minutes. There's three-phase AC charging, but disappointingly it's only 11kW not 22kW, so you're still taking eight hours to fill the battery from empty. That said, 7kW is likely the maximum power your home can deliver anyway. So call it 11 hours on one of those home or street charge ports from dead flat to 100 per cent juiced. And efficiency? How far can I really go on that battery? We drove the range-topping VZ2 AWD for a couple of hundred miles or so round a selection of UK roads during warm weather and got... 3.6 mi/kWh out of it. Not amazing, but we've seen a lot worse. That would make for total range of 277 miles against a promise of 323 – and that'll drop in the winter, especially without the (non-standard) heat pump. If range anxiety is a thing you suffer from, stick with the RWD Tavascan: that'll get close to 300 miles real world. Highlights from the range the fastest 250kW VZ2 77kWh AWD 5dr Auto [Winter Pack] 0-62 5.5s CO2 0 BHP 335.3 MPG Price £62,115 the cheapest 210kW V1 77kWh 5dr Auto 0-62 6.8s CO2 0 BHP 281.6 MPG Price £47,285 the greenest 250kW VZ2 77kWh AWD 5dr Auto [Winter Pack] 0-62 5.5s CO2 0 BHP 335.3 MPG Price £62,115
Top Gear
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Buy Cupra Tavascan Price, PPC or HP
Buying What should I be paying? Thankfully Cupra has managed to keep its usual bloated model offering relatively simple with the Tavascan – your first choice is RWD or AWD. If it's the former then you've got V1 or V2 trims to choose from, starting from £47,350 and £53,845 respectively. If it's the latter then you can choose from VZ1 or VZ2 trims costing £55,945 or £60,845. Advertisement - Page continues below What are the trims like? The V1 base model comes relatively well equipped, with 19in alloys, LED headlights, auto lights and wipers, keyless go, heated steering wheel, rear-view camera, tri-zone aircon, the 15in touchscreen, wireless phone charging and wireless smartphone integration. The V2 upgrades you to 21in alloys, electrically adjustable heated front bucket seats, matrix LED headlights, Sennheiser audio system, panoramic glass roof, ambient lighting and Cupra's fancy augmented reality head-up display. VZ1 trim is much the same as the V2 spec, but chucks in the extra motor at the front, while the range-topping VZ2 model comes with a different style of 21in alloy, upgraded leather bucket seats (that are ventilated too) and a fancier leather interior. Any options or accessories? The usual mix, but the next biggest decision after you've settled on the powertrain and trim is whether or not to spec the winter pack, which is £1.3k. It comes with a heat pump, heated windscreen and heated rear seats. Advertisement - Page continues below For what Cupra's charging you shouldn't have to pay extra for any of these things, but the heat pump will be a wise addition for improved winter efficiency. Grumble about it, then tick the box. The other thing to remember is that since April 2025, the Tavascan's fallen into the government's hoiked up VED charge for cars over £40k. That means you'll pay an extra £425 a year for five years on top of the standard £195 car tax. No discount for EVs any more, sorry. Which one should I go for? Lopping 1.3 seconds off the 0–62mph doesn't seem to warrant the extra cost of the higher spec Tavascans, unless you really want the added assurance of all-wheel drive. Our pick would be the V2, which benefits from the improved sound system and the extra light that the panoramic roof lets into the gloomy rear seats.
Top Gear
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Cupra Tavascan Interior Layout & Technology
Interior What is it like on the inside? The drama of the Tavascan's exterior is carried over to the inside of the car, with a swoopy, aggressive, minimalist design that will wow your passengers. That and the gloomy dark colour scheme with copper accents that gives particularly swanky boutique hotel vibes. You half expect to find a Nespresso machine and a sewing kit in the centre console. Most of the materials don't stand up to close inspection, the Tavascan is more premium in design than it is in execution. The dramatic spar that runs from below the screen down to the console is like a gothic buttress, only made of creaky grey plastic rather than stone. Advertisement - Page continues below More troublingly, its shape means there's only a small tray below it, where most EVs can provide a deep and useful storage bin. There is space below the armrest though. Where are all the buttons? Where indeed. The only button on the central part of the dash is for the hazard warning lights – which you can accidentally turn on if you're trying to rest your arm amid the never-ending task of adjusting anything on the touchscreen. The Tavascan also gets VW Group's ill-advised. touch-sensitive steering wheel controls with haptic feedback underneath – they mostly work fine, but it's still too easy to press something unintentionally when you're going through an involved corner. Look, we don't mind technology, but only when it actually makes life better. How's the tech overall? The 5.3in digital instrument panel is a bit small but does the basics. Most action goes on in the 15in centre screen: it works snappily and can be customised with useful shortcuts and widgets. For instance your favoured combo of assist settings (by law they all default to on when you stop the car) can be activated with just one downward swipe plus one jab. Advertisement - Page continues below Wireless phone mirroring is included, but this is a rare car where you might consider using the native satnav. Not because it's any good, the map is a bit fussy and washed out. But you do get route instructions on the digi dash and arrows that float around the windscreen thanks to the augmented reality head-up display that comes on V2 models and above. There's also an LED rail along the base of the windscreen that gives you peripheral vision clues, for instance sweeping left to right as you approach a right turn. What's the space like in the back? In the back, the outer seats are quite dished, which both supports you and provides a bit more room, but that makes the middle one a booby prize. But there's enough headroom despite the plunging roof line, and plenty of leg space if the front seats are lifted from their very lowest position so you can tuck your feet under. The sportier buckets feature a hard plastic back, so your passengers' knees will appreciate the extra space. They make it a bit dark in the back, too – the panoramic glass roof that comes on all but the entry model is a welcome addition. Boot space is deep and fairly tall if you drop the two-level floor, so it's 540 litres under the parcel shelf. There's no seats-down figure from Cupra, but you'd have to assume it's at least 541 litres.
